When going to work at Dillards every day, most of the time you arrive home safely and have soon forgotten what you did at work. One day you go to work and before the day is up you have tripped and fallen over a patron’s bag, hit yourself on the corner of a table or have been knocked unconscious. The next thing you know you are being shaken gently in a hospital bed as you awake. When this sort of unexpected event happens you are shaken up and quickly wonder how you are going to pay your medical bills. Fortunately, Dillards should have worker’s compensation insurance for its workers, which means whether you have an accident or fall ill at work your medical costs will be covered. That all sounds great in writing but Dillard’s insurers may not be willing to come up with your worker’s comp. in a hurry. You may need a worker’s comp. lawyer to help you through the process. Why Would I be Denied WC at Dillards? Being denied worker’s compensation is not uncommon, because it costs insurers money to pay your medical costs and loss of earnings while you recover. There are a number of reasons why Dillard’s insurer may deny your worker’s comp. claim. The first thing the insurer questions is whether the accident really happened at work. If you haven’t provided the right amount of evidence like sufficient reports from witnesses you may be denied worker’s comp. Deadlines are important when filing for a claim. Most states set a deadline which is rarely more than 12 months from the date of the accident. Also, your employer may require that you report the accident just 24 hours after it happened. These are all issues Dillard’s insurer may bring up as reasons for denying your claim. Process to Follow if Denied a Claim at Dillard’s If your claim has been denied you have to be quick off the mark to get an appeal in. Some insurers only give you a few days to do so. This is normally outlined in the denial letter. There are a several stages to the appeal’s process. Mediation is often the preferred option, as it is cost effective and just involves bringing in an outside mediator to negotiate a compromise between you the plaintiff and Dillard’s insurer. A formal hearing takes place if mediation fails. You and your worker’s comp. lawyer are expected to be upfront with all the evidence needed for backing up your worker’s comp. claim. The workers’ comp. appeals board, or a panel of workers’ compensation judges, comes next if the formal hearing draws a blank. Your state’s court system is the last and final way of appealing Dillard’s WC denial. Contact a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer If you are in the situation of appealing Dillard’s WC denial you will never win an appeal without the help from an experienced WC lawyer. They know how insurers work and will help to ensure all the vital evidence is presented to Dillard’s WC insurer. Additional Resources I Got Hurt Working For Dillard's. What Do I Do? Workers’ Compensation for Department Store Injuries Disclaimer The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Dillard’s, or another party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
